New Tee's for the Toddler

I have been looking around for a super basic tee pattern for ages and after being stung by a couple of free patterns over the summer I think I finally stumbled across one that is a) simple looking, b) easy and c) sized for both of my boys.  I got the 'Made by Me Kids Tee' pattern.

This is my first time sewing with knits on my normal sewing machine (armed with Jersey needles).  Jersey feels so much different to sewing with a woven but I'm hoping to master it, an overlocker is a lot of money.  I would love one eventually but I have achieved something that looks okay-ish without the expense so I'm happy.

The first I made from a fabric I saw at Birmingham rag market and was only £3 per metre.  I love the swirls and I hope to make my other son a hoodie from the same fabric.  I edged it in ribbing to give it more of a sweartshirt feel than a tee.  I think it works!  I wish I could finish it a bit better on the inside but without the overlocker I'm not really sure how to go about it - I'm just happy it sewed up at all.

The second is made up from cotton jersey, I admit - this was much easier to sew.  The neck binding and the patch pocket is actually made from one of my youngests older t shirts that has no hope of ever fitting him again and was in too much of a state to give away.

I really like this pattern a lot and as someone who usually buys a basic set of tees in all sorts of colours for each boy at the beginning of a season I foresee that this will see a lot of use.

A Summer Hiatus and a quilt.

So it's the school holidays and I am sitting here thinking that I haven't had a minute to work on anything at all around the children.  But that's not strictly true - because I HAVE made things.  I made a Nina Lee Kew Dress in a blue tropical print but then ripped it horrendously on its first outing before I got any pictures.  It's currently hanging up waiting for some mending... I will get around to that in time for the next bit of summery weather, in a year? ish?

I helped my daughter make a pair of True Bias Lander Pants (the short version) in a light grey stretch denim with coppery buttons - I don't think she's taken them off yet.

I have been spinning up some wool outside in the sunshine with my trusty wheel.

The knitting continues.. My cardigan only needs sleeves now but I am at the time of year where I need to get the boys' winter hats done as they outgrew the ones from last year...is sleeveless a thing?

Oh and I randomly taught myself how to crochet.  I can now make little granny squares, and they are great because they take like 5 minutes.

I went to the Festival of Quilts with my Mom and Daughter but I don't think they enjoyed it as much as I did.  They both prefer to shop rather than look at the exhibitions.  I noticed that I spent less than last year and bought hardly any fabric.

Feeling inspired after seeing all the quilts at the festival I decided to pull out the last thing I had been working on.  I had an applique panel that I made last year from a pattern in an old magazine.  Turns out that I have since lost said old magazine.. and can't remember anything much about the quilt other than it was a border quilt. So I decided to just make it up as I go along.

I had a maths fail, so I appliqued some rectangular blocks to bridge my gaps, they were completely intentional - honest!

I had purchased a Clam shell die for my Big Shot at the FoQ so thought that would make a good border.  Turns out that trying to machine piece them is just awful and they don't square up properly.. then trying to paper piece them means they don't tessellate properly.  I eventually stumbled on this method of appliqueing them all down which is so far working fine, though it will be more time consuming than originally anticipated.


So there, despite feeling like I haven't achieved a thing, I have actually made progress on a bunch of stuff.

I solemnly swear that I will not buy anything for new projects until some of the things I have started are FINISHED (and then we all laughed and laughed)... but seriously, no more new stuff.